Tim Peake, Yuri Malenchenko and Tim Kopra. Credits: NASA

Tim Peake, Yuri Malenchenko and Tim Kopra. Credits: NASA

ESA astronaut Tim Peake’s Principia mission has been extended to 5 June 2016. He is now scheduled to spend 173 days in space together with NASA’s Tim Kopra and Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko.

The 173-day mission will be the sixth longest ESA astronaut mission.

Longest ESA astronaut missions... so far. Credits: ESA

Longest ESA astronaut missions… so far. Credits: ESA